The NEC will establish and run a total of 158 overseas voting committees at diplomatic missions worldwide from 14^th October.

The NEC said that it opens a new chapter of overseas voting which will take place for the first time in our constitutional history with the establishment of overseas voting committees.

The overseas voting committees will be run until 18^st January, 2013, and will manage overseas voting in 2012: the 19^th National Assembly elections on 11^th April and the 18^th Presidential election on 19^th December.

The overseas voting committees will cover following affairs: management of overseas polling stations; prevention and monitoring of electoral crimes; supervision of election management of overseas returning officer, etc.

The overseas voting committee will be comprised of several commissioners including: 2 appointed by the NEC; 1 recommended by each political party which formed a parliamentary negotiation group; 1 from overseas diplomatic missions (who is recommended by the head of missions); and these people will be appointed by the NEC.

<Currently, a total of 568 people with fair and neutral tendency have been appointed as commissioners of the overseas voting committees by the NEC.

The NEC plans to provide systematic education programs in order for proper  management of overseas voting committees and overseas voting and  prevention and monitoring of electoral crimes, as it will hold a meeting of commissioners of the overseas voting committees.

Add to that, call centers will be run at 158 overseas voting committees in order to produce a fair election atmosphere and prevent electoral crimes.

The NEC will also make its all-out efforts for successful overseas voting, as it establishes and runs an overseas voting situation room all around the clock.

Meanwhile, the NEC announced that it will not establish overseas voting committees at 7 overseas diplomatic missions: Afghanistan, Libya and Yemen in a climate of political unrest because of civil war, etc; 4 newly established missions where lack foundation of holding overseas voting such as the office in a city of Dalian, China.

<However, there is also a possibility to establish overseas voting committees at those 7 overseas diplomatic missions, if the NEC estimates that those missions are ready to hold overseas voting before the period of overseas voting.

The NEC said that it will do its utmost efforts for fair management of overseas voting: promotion for raising awareness of overseas voters; accurate management of overseas voter registration; preemptive prevention activities of election law violations, etc. The NEC also asks active participation and support from the Korean people and overseas voters in order to spread advanced and healthy election culture to the world with a successful overseas voting.